Automatic weigher.



110. 720,248. PATENTBD FEB. 10,1903. J. R. HARRISON.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1901.

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No. 720,248. PATE'NTED FEB. 10, 1903.

J. R. HARRISON, AUTOMATIG WEIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1901.

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AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1901.

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vention applied thereto.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JAMES R. HARRISON, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO HART GRAIN WEIGHER COMPANY, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,248, dated February 10, 1903.

Application filed November 13, 1901. 7 Serial No. 82,091. (No model.)

Jl'b all whom it may concerm Be it known that I, JAMES R. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Racine, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Weighers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has relation more particularly to that class of grain-weighin g machines in which the grain as it is delivered from the spout of an elevator-tube passes into a bucket or receptacle that is counterpoised upon a scale-beam beneath such tube, the bucket and the elevator-tube spout being provided with movable gates adapted to be alternately opened and closed as the predetermined quantity of grain is delivered to and discharged from the bucket.

The invention has for its object to provide improved mechanism for controlling the movements of the gates, whereby the flow of the grain to and from the bucket is controlled; and the invention consists in the features of improvement hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the upper part of a grain-elevator having my in- Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation from the opposite side of the upper part of the elevator. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in horizontal section, on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c is a view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3 looking outward. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the check-arm and adjacent parts.

The elevator-tube A may be of any usual or suitable construction, this tube, as shown, consisting of two tubular members, the upper ends of which are connected to the elevator-head A, as well understood in the art. Through the head A extends a shaft a, around which passes a chain carrying the usual elevator buckets or flights, and on the outer end of this shaft a is fixed a sprocket-Wheela, by which motion will be communicated by a sprocket-chain B to the mechanism by which will be controlled the gates at the lower end of the elevator-spout A and at the bottom of the bucket C. As shown, the bucket O is furnished at its top with the usual bars or bails c, beneath the seat 0 of which extend the knife-edge supports d, that project outwardly from the yoke-shaped steelyard-frame D, that is pivoted upon the knife-edgesupports eat the sides and adjacent the bottom of the spout A The frame D has 'an upwardlyextending arm D, an extension d of which is marked with numbers or graduations and carries the counterbalance-weight D To the elevator-head A or its spout A is pivotally connected, as at f, the arms f of the spout-gate F, these arms being arranged to swing the gate F away from the mouth of the spout A to permit the free discharge of the grain therefrom or to close the mouth of the spout when the flow of grain therefrom is to be interrupted. At one side of one of the -a'rmsf of the spout-gate is formed an eye or loop f through which passes the upper end of a shi ting-rod G, whereby the lifting of the spout-gate will be effected, this rod G being provided with an adjustable collar g, formed, preferably, with a pointed upper portion g, adapted to enter a seat or notch in the lower edge of the eye f (See Fig. 1.) The lower end of the rod G is pivotally connected to one of the pins 72. of a double crank H, (see Fig. 3,) that. is fixed to due end of a transverse shaft K. The latter extends from side to side of the elevator and is conveniently mounted in a support or hearing L, bolted to the tubular members of the elevator. As

shown, the outer arm 72, of the double crank.

H has a pin 72/ to which is pivotally connected one end of a rod M, whereby will be effected the shifting of the gate N, that controls the discharge of the grain from the weigher-bucket O. The gate N is preferably a swinging gate and, as shown, has V-shaped supporting-arms that extend outside of the bucket O and are pivoted thereto, as at 0 The rod M is connected to one of the arms n of the gate N, as at m. (See Fig. l.)

The shaft K has loosely mounted thereon at one end a sprocket-wheel P, that is connected by the sprocket chain B with the sprocket-wheel at of the elevator-shaft Ct, so 1 of automatic weighers is that the weigherbucket 0 shall normally have its gate N closed while the gate F of the spout A is open and grain is passing from the elevator to the bucket. When, however, the bucket has received a sufficient charge of grain to counterbalance the steelyard Weight D the bucket will descend, and mechanism driven by the elevator-shaft will be brought into operation to effect the closing of the spout-gate F to interrupt the further flow of grain into the bucket and to open the bucket-gate N in order that the measured contents of the bucket may be discharged therefrom.

My improved mechanism for effecting the operation of the spout-gate and the bucketgate will next be described.

Upon the shaft K and at one side of the sprocket-wheel P is arranged a clutch member comprising a dog or pawl R, that is adapted to engage a second clutch member comprising teeth 1), formed upon one side of the rim of the sprocket-wheel P. In the preferred form of the invention the dog R is constructed as shown-that is to say, it is provided with a cutaway space 0" to clear or straddle the shaft Kand one end of the dog is connected to or is formed in piece with a plate-spring S, the reversed end of which is connected, as at .5, (see Fig. 3,) to an arm extending from a hub T, that is fixed to the shaft K. From the hub T extends an arm T, the bifurcated end i of which straddles the dog R, the dog being free to move in. the space at the bifurcated end of the arm T. The spring S serves to normally force the dog R toward the teeth 19, with which the dog will engage when revolution is to be imparted from the constantly-driven sprocket-wheel P to the intermittently-driven shaft K. By reference more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, and t of the drawings it will be seen that the free end of the dog R projects beyond the rim of the sprocket-wheel P and into position to be engaged by a check-arm V, that is mounted upon a rock-shaft 7), suitably sustained on the elevator-tube, and this check-arm is connected by one of the arms w, extending to lugs 10, at the bottom of the weigher-bucket O. The upper end of the check-arm V is provided with an inclined cam or releasingface i), (see Fig. 5,) at the base of which is a stop-shoulder or offset N, with which the dog R, will contact.

From the foregoing description the operation will be seen to be as follows: When the parts are in the relative positions shown in the drawings, grain will be delivered from the elevator by the spout A into the Weigherbucket C. At such time the sprocket-wheel P will be revolved from the shaft at the top of the elevator, but the transverse shaft K will be stationary, because at such time the dog R will have been moved by the inclined surface V of the check-arm out of engagement with the teeth 19 on the rim of the sprocket-wheel P and will be in engagement with the stop or shoulder 01 of the check-arm. As soon, however, as suiiicient grain has accumulated in the bucket C to overcome the weight D the bucket C will descend, and will thereby cause the arm w to rock on shaft 1) and to swing the check-arm V in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, until the stop or shoulder 41 of the check-arm passes from engagement with the end of the pawl R. The spring S will then cause the pawl R to engage with one of the teeth 1) on the rim of the sprocket-wheel P, thus locking the pawl R, and consequently the shaft K, to the sprocketwheel and causing the shaft K and the parts connected therewith to be driven by such wheel. As the sprocket-wheel continues its revolution, carrying with it the shaft K, the double crank H at the opposite end of shaft K will be turned, thereby causing the gate F to descend and close the spout A and cansing the gate N to be swung away from the bottom of the bucket 0. Hence it will be seen that as the bucket descends under the predetermined weight of grain within it further flow of grain from the spout A will beinterrupted, while the grain within the bucket will be discharged therefrom as the gate N is swung open. As soon, however, as the bucket O is freed from its weight of grain the bucket will rise and will cause the checkarm V to return to the position shown in the drawings, and when the check-arm is in such position the pawl R, as it is carried around by the sprocket-wheel P, will contact with the inclined or releasing face 12 of the check-arm and riding down such face will be forced from engagement with the teeth 1) at the side of the sprocket-wheel and will contact with the stop or shoulder 12 of the check-arm. The revolution of the shaft K will thereupon be arrested and the shaft will remain idle with the gate F open and gate N closed until the bucket is again freed and descends to effect the release of the check-arm V from engagement with the pawl R.

My present invention presents many featu res of ad vantage over prior constructions of automatic weighers. Thus, for example, in the most approved machines of this character now in use and in which provision is made for engaging and disengaging gearwheels to control the movements of the gates it is found in practice that the reengagement of the gear-wheels occurs each time upon the same tooth of the gear that is thrown temporarily out of action while the gates are in open position, thereby wearing away or breaking such tooth and requiring the replacement 125 of its wheel. With my invention, however, the pawl is free to engage with any one of the teeth at the side of the sprocket-wheel'P, and hence the danger of excessive wear upon any one of these teeth is avoided. Again, with most prior grain-weighing machines a spring is employed to efiect the initial rengagement or starting of the shaft whereby the gates of the weigher are controlled, the force IIO of such spring being resisted by a stop-arm connected with the bucket. In practice it has been found that the friction exerted upon the bucket by the parts connected with the starting-spring seriously interferes with the accuracy of the weigher, and as my present invention avoids the necessity for using a starting spring it enables the weighing operation to be more accurately eifected. It-will further be observed that releasing cam 1) upon the check-arm V serves to gradually shift the pawl R to release the clutch, so that the operating-shaft K is entirely disconnected from the continuously-rotating gearP before finally brought to rest by the engagement of the pawl R with the stop '0 By this arrangement all sudden shock upon the parts in arresting the motion of the intermittently operated mechanism is avoided.

While I have described what I regard as the preferred form of the invention, I do not wish the invention to be understood as limited to the precise details of construction above set out, since manifestly these may be varied within wide limits by the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention, and features of the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety. Thus, for example, the pawl operating with the teeth upon the sprocket or gear wheel P (and manifestly any style of gearing may be employed to drive the wheel P) will be found a most advantageous form of clutchmechanism for connecting the constantly-driven gear-Wheel with the intermittently-operated shaft, even should other fea tures of the invention not be adopted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In automatic weighers, the combination with a delivery-spout and a weigher-bucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for actuating said gates, a shiftable member for intermittently throwing said mechanism into operation, a trip connected to shiftwith said bucket and normally arranged to hold said shiftable member out of operation and an inclined cam arranged to gradually throw said shiftable member to its inoperative po; sition.

2. In automatic weighers, the combination with a delivery-spout and a weigher-bucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for actuating said gates, a shiftable member for intermittently throwing said mechanism into operation, a trip connected to shift with said bucket and normally arranged to hold said shiftable member out of operation, an inclined cam arranged to gradually throw said shiftable member to its inoperative posi tion and a stop arranged to subsequently arrest the movement of said mechanism.

3. In automatic weighers, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for operating said gates, a clutch comprising two members for throwing said mechanism intermittently into operation, a trip connected to shift with said bucket and normally engaging one of said clutch members to hold it in inoperative position and an inclined cam on one of said interengaging parts arranged to gradually release said clutch.

4. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for operating said gates, a clutch comprising two members, one of which is spring-held, arranged to throw said mechanism intermittently into operation, a trip connected to shift with said bucket and normally engaging said spring-held clutch member to hold it in operative position, an inclined cam on one of said interengaging parts arranged to gradually release said clutch and a stop on one of said interen'gaging parts arranged to arrest said operating mechanism after the disengagement of said clutch.

5. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for actuating said gates, a shiftable part for throwing said mechanism into operation intermittently and a trip connected to shift with said bucket and having an inclined releasing-cam arranged to gradually throw said shiftable part to its inoperative position.

6. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for operating said gates, a shiftable part for throwing said mechanism into operation intermittently, a trip connected to shift with said bucket and having a cam arranged to gradually throw said shiftable part to its inoperative position and a stop on said trip for engaging said shiftable part to subsequently arrest the movement of said mechanism.

7. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft, a constantly-driven clutch member loose on said shaft, a shiftable clutch member connected to said shaft and a movable check-arm or trip connected to shift with said bucket and provided with an inclined or releasing face for throwing said shiftable clutch member into inoperative position.

8. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout and with a weigherbucket, each having a controlled gate, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft, a constantly-driven clutch mem-' ber loose on said shaft, a shiftable clutch member connected to said shaft, a movable checkarm or trip connected to shift with said bucket and provided with an inclined or releasing face for throwing said shiftable clutch memher to inoperative position and a stop on said trip for subsequently engaging said shiftable clutch member to arrest the movement of said shaft.

9. In an automatic weigher, the combination with the delivery-spout having a controlgate and a weigher-bucket having its bottom provided with a movable gate, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft, suitable connections between said shaft and said gates whereby the gates are operated, a constantly-driven gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft and means for causing the revolution of said shaft with said gear-wheel comprising a spring-actuated pawl movable axially of said shaft and a trip operatively connected to the weigher-bucket for controlling the movement of said pawl.

10. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft and clutch mechanism for effecting the engagement of said shaft with said gear-wheel comprising a pawl movable axially of said shaft, a series of teeth carried by said gear-wheel, and a trip operatively connected to said weigher-bucket for controlling the shift of said pawl into and out of engagement with said teeth.

11. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft and having one side of its rim provided with a series of teeth,a spring-actuated pawl connected to said shaft and adapted to engage with said teeth of the gear-wheel and a trip operatively connected to said weigher-bucket for controlling the shift of said pawlinto and out ofengagement with said teeth.

12. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft, teeth movable with said gearwheel and a pawl movable axially of said shaft, a spring connecting said pawl to said shaft, and means for throwing said pawl into and out of engagement with the teeth that are movable with the gear-wheel.

13. In an automatic Weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates, comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely revoluble with respect to said shaft, teeth movable with said gear-wheel, a pawl movable axially of said shaft, a spring-metal plate connecting said pawl to said shaft, and means for throwing said pawl into and out of. engagement with the teeth that are movable with the gearwheel.

14. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a Weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism'for controlling the movement of said gates comprising a shaft, a constantly-driven gear-wheel provided with clutch-teeth, a pawl movable axially of said shaft for engagement with said clutch-teeth and a movable check-arm or trip connected with the weigher-bucket and pro- -vided with an inclined or releasing face for throwing the pawl from engagement with said clutch-teeth.

15. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a'controlgate and with a weigher-backet having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movement of said gates comprising a shaft, a constantly-driven gear-wheel and clutch-teeth movable therewith, a pawl movable axially of said shaft and a check-arm or trip connected with the weigher-bucket and provided with an inclined or releasing face and with a stop to engage said pawl.

16. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a Weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movements of said gates, comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft and having its rim provided upon one side with clutch-teeth, a pawl arranged to move axially of said shaft to engage said clutch-teeth, said pawl having a part projecting radially beyond said teeth and a check-arm or trip operated by the weigher-bucket and arranged to disengage said pawl from said teeth and to arrestit.

17. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a control gate and with a weigher-bucket havinga movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for controlling the movements of said gates, comprising a shaft, a gear-wheel loosely mounted upon said shaft and provided upon one side pt its rim with clutch-teeth, a pawl movable axially of the shaft to engage said clutchteeth, a spring for forcing said pawl into engagement with said clutch-teeth and an arm fixed to the shaft and having an end to engage said pawl.

18. In an automatic weigher, the combination with a delivery-spout having a controlgate and with a weigher-bucket having a movable gate at its bottom, of mechanism for operating said gates comprising a shaft suitably connected with the bucket-gate, a rod leading from said shaft to the spout-gate, an arm connected to said spout-gate and provided with an eye or loop through which said rod passes, said rod being provided with a collar for engagement with said loop or eye.

19. In an automatic weigher, the combina- Lion with a delivery-spout having a controla constantly-driven gear and with suitable gate and with a weigher-buoket having a gate clutch mechanism for throwing said gear into [0 at its bottom, of mechanism for operating said and out of engagement with said shaft.

"ates comprising a shaft extendin from side 7 5 o side of the elevator-tube and provided JAMES HARRISON upon one end with a double crank having op- Witnesses:

positeiy-disposed members connected to said EDMOND O. DEANE,

gates and provided at its opposite end with G. A. DEANE NORTON. 

